Method of installing drawstrings in garments



1961 G. AFTERGOOD, JR 2,994,091

METHOD OF INSTALLING DRAWSTRINGS IN GARMENTS Filed Dec. 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

650265 fil -76796000, JQ.

INVENTOR. P [6: 2.

Aug. 1, 1961 e. AFTERGOOD, JR 2,994,091

METHQD OF INSTALLING DRAW-STRINGS IN GARMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1958 w g M m mm H i m 2 em 5 ,1 w m u p G n E 5 w m 4 m 6 Q m. /vmN HM Q Q N 1 n n H Z 0 2 5 2,994,091 METHOD OF INSTALLING DRAWSTRINGS IN GARMENTS George Aftergood, Jr., 14165 Bessemer St., Van Nuys, Calif. Filed Dec. 16, 1958, Ser. No. 780,804 4 Claims. (Cl. 2-243) This invention relates to a method of installing drawstrings or draw cords in hems or loops of garments, bags, and the like.

There are many garments such as for example, swim trunks, runners trunks, boxers trunks, pajamas, and the like which have drawstrings or draw cords slidable in hems or loops at the tops of the garments. Sometimes certain garments have similar draw cords in hems or loops at the ends of sleeves or at the bottoms of trouser legs. Similar draw cords are to be found in some instances in the mouths of laundry bags, sail bags, and the like.

Heretofore, the customary procedure to install such drawstrings or draw cords have been to form the hem or loop completely or substantially so, and thereafter attach the drawstring or draw cord to a bodkin. The bodkin is used to move one end of the draw cord into one end of the hem after which the material is gathered onto the bodkin and the process repeated until the bodkin and draw cord are eventually passed completely through the hem. This operation requires a great deal of hand labor and may be objectionable due to the fact that the gathering of the material may cause it to become crushed or soiled.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for installing such drawstrings or draw cords in hems or loops wherever such hems or loops may be located.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a pair of swim trunks illustrating the preliminary step of applying or installing the drawstring or draw cord in accordance with the present invention, swim trunks being selected as a typical example of the type of garment to which the present invention is applicable;

FIG. 2 is a partial view in side elevation illustrating further steps used in installing the draw cord;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the manner in which the draw cord is freed Within the hem;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on a highly enlarged scale taken substantially upon the line 4-4 upon FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section on a highly enlarged scale taken substantially upon the line 55 upon FIG. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, indicates the upper portion of a pair of swim trunks prior to the formation of the hem at the waistband thereof. It is desired to form a hem at the top of the swim trunks 1t and to have positioned therein a draw cord or drawstring. In accordance with the present invention a buttonhole 11 is formed in the fabric of the swim trunks adjacent the top edge thereof and a draw cord 12 has its end extended outwardly through this buttonhole. This draw cord is stitched to the fabric adjacent its top edge by a single thread chain stitch 13 which extends through the fabric of the garment and through the draw cord. As will be noted from an inspection of FIG. 1, the single thread chain stitch 13 is so formed that the lengths of the stitches are arranged against the draw Patented Aug. I, 1961 ice the garment is reversely folded upon itself inwardly so that the top portion of the garment with its attached drawstring is folded downwardly to form the hem somewhat as is depicted in FIG. 2. In this figure it will be noted that the loops of the chain stitches 13 which initial-ly were on the outer side of the fabric 10 are now exposed on the inner side of the turned down portion that forms the hem so as to be accessible thereon.

In the case of swim trunks and some other garments, a strip of elastic tape indicated at 14 is positioned within the hem, and if the swim trunks are lined with a lining 15, the top of the lining may also be positioned within the hem. That is, the lower edge of the reversely folded portion of the garment 10 will completely enclose the elastic tape 14 and will overlap the top edge of the lining 15. The garment may then be run through a three-needle or four-needle machine to stitch the reversely folded hem portion in place. I have illustrated the garment as having been stitched with a three-needle machine which produces lines of stitching 16, '17, and 18. Lines of stitching 17 and 18 straddle the draw cord 12 and all lines of stitching preferably pass not only through the reversely folded portion of the hem, but also through the elastic tape 14. Usually, only the lower line of stitching 16 need pass through the top of the lining 15. The machine which applies the lines of stitching 16, 17, and 18 may apply these lines of stitching as ordinary or conventional stitching or the material of the garment may be shirred in the course of this stitching.

After the garment is thus completed the free end of the single thread chain stitching indicated at 19 is pulled which causes the chain stitching to unravel and when the chain stitching is thus unraveled the cord or drawstring 12 is freed within the hem for sliding movement therein in drawing the hem tightly about the person of the wearer.

It will be appreciated from the abovedescribed method that the cord 12 can be temporarily anchored in place by the chain stitching within a portion of a garment that is to form the hem, and that this anchoring can be easily and quickly performed by machine. Thereafter, the portion of the garment to which the drawstring has been temporarily attached is reversely folded and stitched in place to complete the hem. Finally, the chain stitching is removed or unraveled to free the drawstring within the hem at which time it is ready for use. The use of the elastic 14 and the lining 15 may be considered as optional as frequently these elements, although present in swim trunks, are not necessarily present in other articles such as for example, pajamas, laundry bags, and the like.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of installing drawstrings in garments and the like which comprises stitching a drawstring to the fabric of the garment near an edge thereof by a single thread chain stitch, folding the edge portion of the garment and attached drawstring over to provide a hem with the drawstring on the interior thereof and securing the folded portion to the body of the garment, and removing the single thread chain stitch by pulling on the end of the thread by which it is formed thus leaving the drawstring loose within the hem.

2. The method of installing drawstrings in garments and the like as defined in claim 1, wherein an elastic tape is positioned beneath the folded portion of the garment and stitched in place within the hem.

3. The method of installing drawstrings in garments and the like as defined in claim 1, wherein an elastic tape is positioned within the folded edge portion of the garment and a portion of the lining of the garment is positioned beneath a portion of the folded portion, and the elastic tape and lining are both attached in position by the stitching that completes the formation of the hem.

4. The method of installing draw strings in garments and the like which comprises stitching a drawstring to the fabric of the garment near an edge thereof by a single thread chain stitch, the loops of which are positioned against the outer side of the fabric of the garment, folding the edge portion of the garment and attached drawstring over to provide a hem with the drawstring on the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,697 Kalina Aug. 19, 1919 2,043,538 Hardie June 9, 1936 2,438,804 Hardie Mar. 30', 1948 2,511,247 Champlin June 13, 1950 2,662,577 Gordon Dec. 15, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Vogue Dressmaking Book, November 10, 1949, page 21 relied on. 

